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From YouTube: Storm Preparations - 9/14/23
Description
Boston Mayor Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference with City of Boston officials to share storm preparations ahead of Hurricane Lee’s forecasted impact on New England late this week and through the weekend.
A
Okay,
all
right,
let's
dive
in!
Thank
you,
everyone
for
joining
us
here
today.
We
are
here
to
give
a
little
bit
of
an
update
about
what
the
city
is
expecting
with
where
hurricane
Lee
will
be
in
a
couple
days
from
now,
as
it
passes
by
Boston
and
the
preparations
and
resources
that
are
available
to
Residents
in
this
period.
So
I
want
to
thank
our
amazing
team,
and
so
many
of
the
city
departments
have
been
rallying
to
be
ready
for
any
unexpected
situation
and
we're
going
to
share
a
little
bit
of
those
updates.
A
And
then
we
also
have
here
on
hand
and
ready
for
any
questions
that
may
come
up
and
whose
teams
have
been
working
very,
very
hard
in
collaboration,
our
chief
of
streets,
Yasha,
Franklin,
Hodge,
chief
of
EMS,
Jim,
hooley,
chief
of
operations,
Dion
Irish,
I
didn't
see
Diane,
but
he
Dion
has
been
working
out
and
I
want
to
thank
him
and
his
team,
our
director
of
green
infrastructure,
Kate
England
and
all
the
work
that
she's
been
doing.
Our
Deputy
superintendent
of
the
Boston
police,
Pam,
Harris
and
and
other
departments
on
hand
as
well.
A
Okay,
so
I'm
going
to
dive
in
we
have
been
preparing
for
several
days
across
all
departments
in
Boston,
our
city
workers,
anytime,
anything
is
needed,
have
been
absolutely
ready
and
stepping
up
to
make
sure
that
we're
taking
on
additional
preparations
on
top
of
all
the
city
services
that
we
continue
to
deliver.
Our
top
priority
is
making
sure
that
we
are
keeping
all
of
our
communities
safe.
A
That
being
said,
conditions
are
still
anticipated
to
be
similar
to
that
of
a
nor'easter,
because
the
spread
of
this
storm
and
the
wind
and
the
rain
will
extend
far
beyond
the
the
center
of
it
over
the
over
into
the
coast.
We
expect.
Currently,
the
projections
are
that
we
expect
to
get
four
inches
of
rain
across
the
city,
with
wind
speeds,
of
up
to
30
miles
per
hour.
A
Our
office
of
emergency
Management's,
Emergency
Operations
Center,
is
operational
as
of
today
and
coordinating
with
Partners
at
the
state
and
the
federal
level,
including
Mima,
the
Massachusetts
Emergency
Management
agency
and
FEMA.
At
the
federal
level,
we
are
paying
particular
attention
to
those
areas
of
the
city
that
are
on
the
coast
and
tend
to
receive
the
brunt
of
flooding
whenever
we
do
get.
A
Our
office
of
housing
is
in
communication
with
the
Pine
Street,
Inn
and
other
partners
to
ensure
that
residents
experiencing
homelessness
have
access
to
shelter.
The
Boston
Public
Library
and
our
bcyf
community
centers
will
be
open
for
regular
hours
as
another
place.
That
residents
can
can
gather
and
and
come
together
safely.
A
So
again,
more
of
our
experts
are
going
to
say,
give
more
details
in
a
bit,
but
at
a
high
level,
our
first
responder
teams
will
be
standing
by
Boston.
Police
will
be
responding
to
calls
regarding
downed
trees
and
wires.
The
Boston
fire
department's
trucks
are
all
equipped
with
flotation
suits
which
can
be
used
to
help
residents
caught
in
floods.
Ems
is
ready
to
respond
to
power
outages
and
provides
support
to
those
who
rely
on
electronic
medical
devices,
and
so
a
few
reminders
for
all
of
us
to
be
ready
and
to
make
it
through
storm
safely.
A
If
you
see
a
downed
wire,
do
not
touch
that
wire
or
anything
that
it
is
touching,
electrical
wires
could
be
live
even
if
they
don't
look
like
it,
and
our
priority
is
again.
The
safety
of
our
residents
do
report
the
wire,
if
you
are
able
to
9-1-1,
so
that
our
teams
can
respond
and
make
sure
that
it
is
safe
and
taken
care
of.
If
you
see
a
downed
tree,
especially
one
blocking
a
street,
please
report
it
to
3-1-1
so
that
our
parks
department
can
coordinate
in
clearing
that
as
quickly
as
they
can.
A
We
want
to
make
sure
that
our
streets
are
clear
so
that
First
Responders
and
those
emergency
vehicles
can
reach
every
corner
of
our
city
as
quickly
as
as
possible.
Finally,
if
it's
safe
to
do
so,
please
help
us
keep
catch
basins
clear.
These
are
the
the
greats
that,
where
the
water
drains
down
into
our
water
and
sewer
infrastructure
and
when
leaves
and
branches
and
litter,
get
caught
up
in
them,
it
can
lead
to
unnecessary
flooding.
So
if
you
see
that
happening
around
your
home
or
or
where,
where
you
are
working,
please
do
your
part.
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
A
C
C
I
want
to
start
by
saying
that
on
its
current
trajectory,
the
center
of
the
storm
and
the
areas
of
highest
wind
and
rain
are
not
projected
to
pass
over
Boston.
According
to
the
National
Weather
Service
hurricane
Lee
will
bring
wind
rain
and
Coastal
flood
impacts
to
Coastal
Southern
New
England
Friday
night
into
Saturday.
C
C
If
the
storm
continues
on
its
current
trajectory,
the
peak
surge
will
be
felt
in
Boston
around
6
a.m,
which
is
close
to
our
high
top
our
low
tide.
However,
a
low
level
of
surge
may
continue,
such
that
at
our
high
tide,
around
1
pm.
We
could
see
minor
flooding
in
low-lying
areas
like
Morrissey
Boulevard
and
Dorchester
Long,
Wharf,
downtown
and
Lewis
Mall
in
East
Boston.
As
someone
who
lives
near
that
area,
all
of
us
have
become
a
little
accustomed
to
to
dealing
with
that.
C
So
we
expect
again
if
it
happens
at
all
very
low
levels
of
flooding.
Another
reality
is
that,
as
the
mayor
mentioned,
there
could
be
impact
on
trees.
Our
Urban
Forest,
due
division
is
ready
to
address
any
impacts
on
Street
trees.
They
are
mobilized,
and
so,
if
there
are
any
Fallen
trees
in
the
public
right-of-way,
we
can
address
those.
We
do
want
to
emphasize
that
we
do
not
address
trees
on
private
property,
so
contact
311.
C
Finally,
we
are
grateful
to
be
partnering
with
the
U.S
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
to
access
to
assess
Coastal
storm
management
and
determine
eligibility
for
federal
funding
to
implement
our
Coastal
resilience
strategies
throughout
the
city
again,
I
re-emphasize
that
current
projections
show
that
hurricane
Lee
will
not
be
directly
over
Boston,
but
that
we
may
experience
higher
than
usual
Wind
and
Rain,
and
we
will
continue
to
monitor
National,
Weather
Service
projections
and
update
residents
if
the
protection
proves
to
be
any
more
severe.
Thank
you.
D
I
want
to
pay
particular
attention
and
thank
all
of
our
partners
to
include
our
state,
local
and
federal
Partners,
as
well
as
our
private
sector
partners
and
our
partners
in
government,
and
certainly
my
team
over
at
Emergency
Management
as
Chief
white
Hammond
mentioned.
Although
the
storm
has
somewhat
shifted,
we
know
that
some
communities
somewhere
is
going
to
be
impacted
and,
of
course,
our
thoughts
and
what
wishes
are
with
them.
We
approach
all
storms
as
we
plan
for
these
storms
through
an
equitable
lens
and
through
an
all
hazards
approach.
D
The
city
has
held,
as
the
mayor
mentioned,
a
series
of
planning
meetings
to
ensure
a
collaborative
and
a
scalable
approach
to
meeting
the
needs
for
a
response
during
this
storm.
Our
core
departments
to
include
the
mayor's
office
press,
Emergency,
Management,
bcyf,
BPD
BFD,
as
well
as
EMS
bphc,
Water
and
Sewer
energy
and
environment
ISD,
Public,
Works,
Parks
Transportation,
the
community
engagement
Bureau,
as
well
as
Boston
public
schools,
have
all
been
active
Partners
in
our
plan
and
the
work
that
we're
doing.
D
When
we
talk
about
whole
of
government,
it
really
is
a
coordinated
and
a
collaborative
approach
across
city
government.
We
mentioned
those
core
departments,
but
it
has
been
a
contributions
from
All
City
departments
and
helping
us
arrive
at
an
appropriate
plan
that
takes
into
account
our
vulnerable
vulnerable
populations
to
include
Aid
our
age,
strong
population,
as
well
as
our
disabilities,
our
community
and
our
unhoused
communities.
D
Our
plan
prioritizes
Life
Safety,
Public,
Safety
continuity
of
government
operations,
as
well
as
supporting
our
residents
and
ensure
that
our
city
returns
to
normalcy
as
quickly
and
as
soon
as
possible.
As
the
mayor
mentioned,
the
Emergency
Operations
Center
will
be
operational
beginning
this
morning
at
9
00
a.m
through
Sunday,
and
we
will
be
available
to
assist
with
coordination
across
the
city.
D
Our
bcyf
centers
will
be
open
and
available,
as
the
mayor
mentioned,
for
all
residents
to
go
that
need
shelter
and
or
additional
support.
If,
in
the
unlikely
instance,
we
need
to
support
our
residents
in
our
communities
with
additional
Sheltering
needs,
we
have
the
ability
to
scale
up,
as
I
mentioned,
as
I
close
out
want
to
mention
some
Preparatory
tips
for
residents,
that's
available
for
them
24
hours
a
day,
they
can
go
to
the
city
of
Boston's
website.
We
also
want
to
encourage
our
residents.
D
If
you
haven't
already
signed
up,
please
sign
up
for
alert
Boston
so
that
you
can
receive
tips
on
the
latest.
Information
and
I
want
to
just
mention
a
couple
of
very
specific
things
that
residents
can
do
as
they
go
about
their
day
over
the
next
24
hours.
We
want
to
ensure
that
you're
checking
in
with
family
and
friends
checking
in
with
those
neighbors
or
those
members
of
your
of
your
community
that
may
be
homebound.
D
We
want
to
ensure
that
you
have
batteries
and
flashlights
if
in
the
hopefully
unlikely
possibility
that
you
may
lose
light
or
electricity.
You
want
to
make
sure
that
you
have
the
ability
to
be
able
to
see
around
your
home.
We
want
to
discourage
I'm
sure
my
colleague
got
from
the
fire
department.
We'll
talk
about
the
commissioner
around
candles.
We
want
to
discourage
the
use
of
candles
for
obvious
reasons,
so
please
take
take
heed
and
look
into
ensure
that
you
get
batteries
and
flashlights
as
well
as
other
supplies.
D
Secure,
loose
gutters
as
well
as
downspouts
on
your
home,
secure
outdoor
objects
charge
your
cell
phones,
things
we
take
for
granted.
But
me,
please
make
sure
you
charge
your
cell
phone,
ensure
that
your
smoke
detectors
as
well
as
your
carbon
monoxide
detectors,
have
batteries
in
them
as
well
as
ensure
that
your
life
support
devices
are
properly
charged,
and
you
have
the
appropriate
connections
that
you
need
to
support
that,
in
closing
it's
fair
to
say
that
Saturday
is
probably
not
going
to
be
the
greatest
state
to
enjoy
the
outdoors.
D
So
please
take
key
to
what
Chief
white
Hammond
mentioned
around
the
impacts
of
the
projected
impacts
of
the
forecast
and
not
be
outdoors
or
in
unsafe
locations.
If
it's
an
emergency,
please
call
9-1-1
if
it's
non-emergency
and
you
need
support.
311
is
always
a
resource
and
an
option
for
you
and
in
closing,
please
do
not
drive
through
standing
water.
We
don't
want
vehicles
to
get
caught
in
the
middle
of
water,
in
the
middle
of
water
and
thus
requiring
support
and
or
rescue.
We
want
you
to
know
that
the
community
is
our
best
resource.
D
E
Good
morning,
everyone,
my
name,
is
Henry
Vitale
I'm,
the
executive
director
of
the
Boston
Warren
Sewer
Commission.
So
the
bus
Warren
tool
commission
owns
and
maintains
a
thousand
miles
of
water
pipe
and
we
own
and
maintain
1500
miles
of
sewer
and
drain
storm
drain
pipes
for
the
city
of
Boston,
the
Boston,
Water
and
Tool
commission
is
open
seven
days
a
week,
24
hours.
So
please.
If
there's,
you
need
any
assistance.
E
617-989-7000
we're
always
available
to
support
the
rate
payers.
Another
note
is
on
our
website.
Bwsc.Org,
we
notify
all
our
rate
pays.
All
our
information
is
on
that
website
and
we'll
continue
to
apprise
the
rate
payers
of
any
new
developments
so
for,
for
example,
today,
on
our
website,
we
have
recommendations
to
our
rate
payers
to
help
out
by
cleaning
the
catch
bases,
that's
in
front
of
their
homes.
The
commission
manages
and
owns
thirty
thousand
catch
basins
and
fourteen
thousand
hydrants.
E
So
we
we
talk
about
that
on
a
website
and
if
you
wanted
to
know
where
the
nearest
catch
Basin
is
near,
your
home
just
go
to
the
website
and
we
have
a
module
right
on
there.
That
takes
you
to
the
catch
Basin
segment
and
you
just
type
in
your
address
and
on
formulas
virus
the
location
of
all
the
catch
basins.
That's
near
your
home!
Another
thing
we
have
on
the
website,
that's
very
informative.
We
worked
mayor
Wu
under
her
leadership
and
her
critique
and
and
her
recommendations.
We've
developed
an
inundation
model.
E
And
so
again
the
bus
went
to
a
commission
we're
we're
always
available.
Please
call
us
if
there's
any
concern.
Certainly
3-1-1
is
the
is
the
easiest
number
to
call,
but
617-989-7000
is
a
phone
number
that
we
have
people
on
standby
all
the
time
and
finally,
the
Commission
in
an
event
like
this
has
an
emergency
response
plan
and
in
that
emergency
response
plan
it
requires
the
the
commission
to
track
problematic
areas
over
the
years
as
it
relates
to
storms
similar
to
the
storms
that
we're
going
to
have
this
weekend.
E
F
Good
morning,
everybody,
my
name
is
Paul
Burke
I'm,
the
fire
commissioner
for
the
city
of
Boston,
I'd
like
to
first
thank
mayawu
and
chief
Benford
for
this
organizing
this
response
to
this
potential
emergency.
The
fire
department
is
ready
to
respond
to
any
emergency
that
takes
place
in
the
city
of
Boston
every
day,
all
Boston
fire
department,
firefighters,
are
trained
in
water,
rescue
we've
put
in
some
extra
Manpower
for
the
two
days
of
the
storm.
F
F
Along
with
this,
the
rescue
companies
have
Zodiacs,
which
are
inflatable
boats
that
are
stationed
throughout
the
city.
They
will
be
used
if
they
have
any
water
that
they
have
to
rescue
people
out
of
homes.
For
along
with
that,
the
the
power
lines,
as
the
mayor
said
and
chief
benefit
said,
they're
very
dangerous.
So
we
we
respond
to
power
lines
down,
because
anybody
that
touches
the
Live
Wire
is
in
a
lot
of
trouble.
F
So
we
have
extra
staff
that
is
going
to
stay
with
the
power
lines,
to
free
up
the
fire
trucks
to
go
to
other
emergencies.
That's
Staffing
a
wait
until
the
eversource
arrives
to
mitigate
that
emergency.
Also,
all
ladder
trucks
we
have
have
flotation
suits
on
them
if
they
have
to
go
into
a
building
or
a
water
area,
and
the
other
thing
I'd
like
to
say
is
anybody
gets
water
in
their
basement?
Please
be
careful.
If
you
go
in
that
basement
and
it's
electrified,
the
water
could
be
electrified.
F
A
We
know
that
flooding
is,
is
going
to
be
one
of
our
biggest
challenges,
along
with
heat
and
in
Boston
that
that
there's
a
couple
ways
we
can
work
on
that,
it's
being
ready
in
case
of
emergency
and
having
all
the
equipment
and
the
the
plans
in
place.
The
coordination
and
the
training
necessary
the
communication
with
the
public,
so
that
residents
also
are
ready
to
go
and
have
supplies
like
flashlights
or
know
in
there.
A
You
know
have
a
sense
of
what
to
do
in
which
situations,
but
we
also
have
to
work
in
the
longer
term
to
try
to
do
what
we
can
to
adapt
and
wherever
possible,
mitigate
some
of
this.
You
know
our
water
and
sewer
system
I've
been
getting
to
learn
a
lot
about
it
from
the
from
director
Vitale
and
his
team,
and
we're
built
to
withstand
a
certain
amount
of
absorption
over
a
certain
period
of
time.
A
That's
based
on
the
standards
from
from
years
ago
before
all
of
these
intense
changes,
and
that
means
that,
as
we,
we
see
the
the
rain
coming
down
in
more
heavy
with
more
intensity
over
a
shorter
period
of
time.
That
absorption
is
simply
not
going
to
be
possible.
We
just
don't
have
the
capacity
to
dig
up
all
the
pipes
and
replace
them
with
larger
ones
where
we
can.
We
are
trying
to
improve
and
update
and
modernize
all
of
the
infrastructure.
That's
available,
but
more
and
more
it's
going
to
be
about.
A
How
do
we
catch
that
water
and
hold
it
before
it
even
has
to
go
into
the
water
and
sewer
infrastructure
so
that
we're
not?
We
can
divert
it
away
and
whether
it's
rain
barrels
in
people's
homes
or
more
green
and
green
infrastructure
and
bioswales
or
grass
in
different
areas
that
would
have
been
pavement
before
that
the
city
can
manage
or
incentivizing
households
and
Property
Owners,
to
make
those
conversions
alongside
us,
with
support
and
and
help
and
resources
wherever
possible.
But
we
have
to
start
being
ready
for
a
different
reality.
C
Yeah
I
think
the
big
piece
is
that,
unfortunately,
you
you
hit
the
nail
on
the
head
that
it's
changing
so
rapidly
that
it's
hard
to
stay
in
advance.
So
I
think
we
don't
expect
this
storm
based
on
where
we
are
right
now
to
be
really
challenging.
But
it's
really
an
opportunity,
as
I've
been
telling.
The
members
of
my
congregation
use
this
as
an
opportunity
to
make
sure
that
you're
prepared,
so
that
when
a
more
significant
storm
does
come,
you're
already
ready,
and
you
know
we
had
a
church
event
outside
this
weekend.
C
We
won't
be
having
that
on
Saturday.
And
so
you
know
there
are
some
places
where
people
are
going
to
have
to
make
adjustments.
But
I
think
the
big
piece
is.
We
have
been
lucky
not
to
have
our
big
storm
hit
quite
yet,
but
we
should
use
all
of
these
instances
to
get
prepared
and
I.
Think
one
of
the
things
I
would
say
is
if
you're
a
person
that
has
the
resources
and
ability
to
prepare.
C
You
should
do
so
because
we
want
the
resources
of
our
First
Responders,
to
focus
on
folks,
with
Mobility
challenges,
to
focus
on
people
who
have
severe
health
challenges,
and
if
we
are
not
prepared
and
we
overtax
the
system,
we
don't
leave
it
available
to
help
those
of
our
neighbors
who
need
it.
The
most
so
I
think
we're.
F
From
the
fire
department's
perspective,
we
too
are
preparing
for
climate
change.
We
purchased
two
vehicles
a
couple
years
ago
that
a
dual
purpose
Vehicles.
They
help
us
fight
brush
fires
in
the
summertime,
because
they're
becoming
more
prevalent
because
of
the
climate
change
and
they
convert
into
a
high
water
rescue
vehicles
for
the
winter.
For
the
hurricane
season
we
take
the
hose
and
the
pumps
off,
and
then
we
can
evacuate
people
with
them.
They
have
lifts
on
the
back
to
to
get
people
that
have
physical
challenge.
The
lift
goes
down
to
the
ground.
F
They
could
go
in
at
least
six
feet
of
water
fire
trucks
go
through
deep
water,
but
these
trucks
go
through
higher
water,
so
we're
prepared
we
train
on
these
things
all
the
time
the
climate
change
is.
Climate
change
is
very
important
to
the
fire
department.
We
know
it's
here
and
we're
planning
for
it.
G
Thank
you,
a
great
question,
so
obviously
we're
all
here,
because
we've
known
about
this
event
coming
for
a
couple
of
days
right
and
so
everyone's
been
leaning
forward,
planning,
thinking
and
thank
thank
God,
maybe
we'll
be
able
to
even
pull
back
a
little
bit.
So
that's
good.
However,
what
happened?
What
we
saw
in
Central
Mass
a
couple
of
days
ago,
was:
bang
just
overnight,
10
inches
of
rain.
G
They
weren't
anticipating
it,
so
those
folks
had
to
be
prepared
to
evacuate
in
a
moment's
notice,
and
so
they
really
had
to
be
able
to
have
a
plan
already
in
mind
or
develop
a
plan
quickly
to
what
are
you
taking
with
you?
What
am
I
taking
my
prescription?
Medicines
do
I
have
taken
my
insulin,
my
syringes,
my
testing
equipment,
things
like
that,
my
oxygen,
so
from
a
medical
point
of
view,
you
have
to
think
about
that
plus.
What
are
the?
G
G
A
Would
it
be
helpful
to
have
residents
who
don't
need
to
be
on
the
roads
during
the
storm
off
the
roads,
100
percent?
Yes,
that
is
true
during
snowstorms,
that
is
true
during
rain
storms,
tropical
storms
and
knock
on
wood,
hopefully
not
this
time
hurricanes.
We
want
our
roads
to
be
clear
for
emergency
response
for
the
First
Responders
and
those
who
absolutely
need
to
be
there.
A
H
H
A
I
just
want
to
make
a
note,
because
we've
been
talking
a
lot
about
this
weekend
generally
and
sometimes
saying
Friday
and
Saturday,
given
that
the
projections
and
as
again
as
we
continue
to
get
updates,
it
becomes
more
and
more
focused
and
the
likelihood
of
accuracy
also
continues
to
go
up
as
the
storm
moves
north
towards
us.
We
expect
the
storm,
the
earliest
impacts
to
begin
late,
late
on
Friday
night
and
then
to
last
through
Saturday
afternoon.
That
is
a
projection.
So
we
are.
A
We
expect
all
of
our
pick
up
and
drop
off
and
all
that
to
be
completed
and
and
normal
and
as
usual
by
Friday
afternoon
before
this
begins,
and
then
we
do
have
some
events
on
Saturday
that
were
canceled
that
were
City
sponsored
events,
but
on
Sunday
there's
a
one
of
the
major
events
that
our
our
team
and
led
by
Chief,
Franklin
Hodges
putting
on
is
open
streets
in
Dorchester
and
as
of
now
that
is
still
plan
to
go
forward.
Because
again,
we
believe
the
storm
will
be
wrapped
up,
mostly
by
Sunday.